Monday, September 29, 2014

wow, this week literally flew by! We are just about ending september and we finished plan piloto working hard!!

Seriously, this week was full of miracles left and right. The Lord is blessing us so much! I can't even express my gratitude; there is opposition in all things. While Satan is working hard to make us discouraged, God is working even harder to shower us with blessings.

We had our Ward Conference yesterday and wow, the spirit hit everyone like a wall. Seriously, there were so many wet eyes. We were in the choir, we sang, "Where can I turn for peace," "Jesus the very thought of thee," and a song for yw y ym called "escoged hoy" (choose today). Stake President spoke and the first thing he did was hold out his arms and said that he wanted "to hug everyone" and expressed his love for us and a desire to bear our burdens along with us. I just imagined it as Christ...literally in the scriptures it states so many times that he extends his arms out for us. He is holding us through the bad times and the good.

Okay, I am just going to quickly go through some of the highlights that happened this week. Sonia (the abuela de pancho) (Pancho's grandma) prayed for the first time! Step by step I know she is going to accept the gospel...her prayer was so sweet. Step by step up the stairs, I know we can all make it!!

We put a fecha with a nuevo, Pamela. She is awesome. She has a little bit of anger with god, just because she doesn't have all the answers she wants. She has 2 daughters and we are going to baptize the entire family :) She has a desire to follow christ, and with that desire anyone can enter the waters of baptism! So we put the fecha for the 26 of October.

We put on an awesome missionary activity on tuesday for ward conference. We did the Iron Rod obstacle course! We tied a rope stretching all around the outside of the chapel. Every person was blindfolded and had to hold a hard boiled egg in their hand. The "holy ghost" (us) were guiding them through the obstacle course, but the "devil" was trying to distract them and give them candy or cookies so he could to take their eggs. It was so important for them to LISTEN, to TRUST in the Spirit in order to overcome the obstacles in their path and yet not let go of the Iron Rod. We went through rooms where the music was so LOUD, they could not hear the Holy Ghost yet they had to keep pressing forward. They climbed over chairs, under tables, and around other stumbling blocks all the while holding to the Iron Rod and their egg. The course was difficult but at last they made it to the chapel which was decked out in white... the Celestial Kingdom where they removed their blindfolds and got to see their eggs which had the words: testimony, calling, family written on each of them. We then had a devotional in the "celestial kingdom" and many people had the opportunity to share their testimony. It was such an awesome experience!

Maria José is progressing so much, she prayed without her 'cheat' sheet and we really see her faith growing. It is awesome to see the light of christ shine in her a little brighter every time we visit with her. She even handed me her book at the end of the lesson with a smile on her face waiting for her homework assignment lol.

We had a lesson with Lisette (investigator) and she offered the last prayer and thanked god for sending us to her house and bringing the spirit which she has not felt in a long time. She said that she had hungered for this spirit. Seriously, I know this gospel blesses the lives of people, it brings peace and comfort that every single one us are searching for in this crazy life. Talk with god, he has created the world, he is the highest of the high, and he wants to talk to YOU so talk with him.

My comp and I have really focused on falling asleep while thinking about our investigators and what we can to do to help them. It is so awesome, I have received so much revelation in thinking about their needs and their doubt...it's great.

"How long are you going to wait to turn to god? Until something bad happens? Don't wait. Now is the time. Follow Christ."

I love the gospel. I love the work. I love being a Missionary, a Representative of CHRIST Himself

Monday, September 22, 2014

Okay so this week...it was a little rough because the 18 of septiembre es Independence Day here so that kind of put a little damper on our week, but we worked nonetheless killing it with our contacts! We ate a lot of bbq and empandas this week...I seriously felt so sick, I am pretty sure I gained 5 pounds just this week... ay no. Chilenos show their amore con comida (love with food)!!! They have a whole lot of love for us cause man we eat a lot! lol

Happy Birthday grandma!!!! Still young as ever.

Last monday we had a lesson with Maria, José, and Gabriela...Katy Reyes acompanied us. (Katy is the one who added me on insta and showed me the selfie posts that were intended "for YOUR eyes only" haha; she says is going to come stay with us in california some day :)) Well, it was a really good lesson, we watched the restoration and we invited them to get on their knees and ask god, like José Smith, which church is true.

Saturday we went over to hernan and karina because it was Isais's birthday! It was awesome because they had friends over and hernan was just telling them how we have influenced their life and helped them conocer dios mejor y todo. tan bákan (to better know god and all. super cool). I love this family, seriously they are so awesome. He was telling them about the blessings he has seen in his life since we have been teaching them...he miraculously found a job when he was sin pega por mucho tiempo (without hits for a long time). We were knocking doors saturday morning and they drove by and were honking and yelling "Hermana Thompson"...it was really funny and a little embarassing.

oh, ayer we changed the schedule of church. We started with sociedad de socorro y sacerdocio (relief society and priesthood) and then escuela dominical y despues la reunion sacramental sunday school and after that sacrament meeting. It was really weird but kinda cool to switch it up a bit.

I had scripures to share from my studies this week, but I forgot my book...next week.

That is about it for this week. The work is going strong here in la villa and my companion is great. We love this work! When you love the work, you are able to recognize the miracles that happen every day. The gospel is amazing. I love it.

"ojos de la fe" (eyes of faith). I was reading about the hermano de jared seta semana (brother of jared this week); the lord could not behold the veil from the eyes of him because his faith was so strong. If we open our eyes we will see the hand of god in our lives.

God answers our prayers. Hermana Carretero and I had many manifestations of this during the week. We prayed to know what to do and literally within minutes we knew exactly where we needed to go and what we needed to do. God is aware of our worries, he WILL answer our prayers.

Monday, September 15, 2014

hey, so you guys got my package? i sent that 2 mondays ago... how quick!! i think i just have good luck lol amazing.

Well we had a successful week! we found 12 nuevos!!! The Lord is putting us in people's paths, it's awesome. We knocked on a whole lot of doors...we asked if we could offer a prayer to bless their families and homes and surprisingly a lot of people accepted and now want to learn more. Magic!!

Pancho had the opportunity to pass the sacrament for the first time yesterday. He was so nervous, poor kid, but he did so great! He was grinning so big...seriously the light of christ shines so brightly in him. Everyone is noticing this change in him, it is so awesome. He is being an example to his friends y Veronica received the gift of the holy ghost ayer! She is one of my biggest inspirations. Seriously, her desire to follow and become like christ is so big. She is not letting anything or anyone get in her way on her journey to exaltation. She is so awesome! I need to work so hard to reach the celstial kingdom with her, she is doing so much studying. 1 nephi 15:14, we need to continually study the basics of the gospel. I feel like as a new member they are so on fire, but that is something we should never lose...our enthusiasm for the gospel. We talked a lot about that in our reunion de zona esta semana. We need to be the same missionary all throughout our missions that we are on our first change in the mission. It's the same after the mission; we need to be the same members we were on the mission or when we were first baptized. What week is this? Week UNO!! Continue with the excitement and love for the gospel.

Seriously God's plan is perfect...we will walk by someone at just the precise time, I can't even tell you how many times this has happened in my mission. I have really seen God work in my life, his hand is in every detail of our life. We had an awesome (I don't have time to go into details) opportunity to feel the spirit really strong with an abueltia, she is 97 and is really sick. We went over to her daughter's house to offer a prayer of comfort. She was screaming so we ended up singing her a hymn... mas cerca dios de ti (god closer to you). She was so at peace, she actually fell asleep! I thought she had died... haha. but she didn't :) we then offered a prayer for her and her family and we returned that night with the bishop to give her a blessing. I am so grateful for the priesthood.

This past wednesday we watched a video that really struck my heart, it is called 'gracias a él'. Seriously everything we have or ever will have...our blessings, our lives, are thanks to christ.

Monday, September 8, 2014

Well we had cambios! I am still in el conquistador, but now I am companions with Hna. Carretero (Argentina). I am so happy to still be here...literally, there is still so much work to do here :)

dun dun dun. Veronica was baptized yesterday!!!! It was so awesome. She was so excited and emotional to take this step but so prepared to accept the gospel. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to teach her the truth, golden. She actually had a dream the other night of her baptism and she told us after she was basptized that it was exactly what she had dreamed...so cool! She went down into the water in such peace, so gracefully; seriously like an angel. I love her so much. She is such an example to me. I know that the key to conversion is the book of mormon, she is evidence of that. Before the baptism her son asked her if she really wanted to do this and she said she has never been so sure of anything in her life, she is going to be faithful and such an example to her family.

Saturday we had an activity of the stake, it was so awesome! We played games like tug of war, they danced the cueca and we ate empanadas...oh how I love chile pride! ¡viva chile!

Yesterday Pancho received the sacerdocio (priesthood)! It was so awesome. Hermano golaz ordained him, but because it was his first time the bishop was whispering in his ear what to say. It was cool because once again it was like Pancho was receiving the priesthood for himself and his twin brother. Pancho told us that when they put their hands on his head he could feel it from his head to his toes it's awesome to see his progression, he is so on top of things.

Friday I was on divisions with Hermana Flores (Honduras), she is super great!! It was a lot of fun! We found a nuevo contacting, Sandra and we put a fecha for the 28 of sept. Score! Seriously, there are so many people here that are prepared!

I received your package mom and dad!!! thank you!! I love the instargram books, they're awesome!!! And I got your postcard and a letter from Cole! I love it! Thanks for sending the LOVE.

Write the words of the book of mormon on your heart by doing the things it says!

During the passing of the sacrament, I was reading Moroni 4:3 y 5:2 as always, but yesterday the words "testifiquen ante ti" (witness unto thee) really stuck out to me. Literally every single one of us are testigos de cristo. We testify of christ through our actions, by keeping the commandments, simpre remembering him in all things. I am so grateful for the sacrament to help me renovar and remember my covenants that I made at baptism.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Not too much happened this week so this letter may be just a little lame. lol However, last week our mission had 25 baptisms! We are rolling.

Thursday we had a conference with Elder Gonzalez, it was super great. As Elder B. told you dad, I had to do the missionary purpose. President leaned over to elder gonzalez and told him that you served in his mission. They rushed him in and out so I didn't get a chance to talk with him...sorry dad! But it was a really great conference to help animate (motivate) us to keep moving forward with 'plan pilot'; we are having a whole lot of success and it is awesome! He talked a lot about "the eye of faith," it was really cool.

Friday we did a service project painting the inside of a member's house. So that was fun and then we went to a less active's house in the sector of the liders de zone (zone leaders) to practice a muscial number for sunday, it turned out super awesome! We did the efy medley. fue bakán!!

Oh, we also prepared the 'names' of pancho's brothers for the temple!! As it turns out, the temple is closed until the 15th :( shootaaaaaaa. But god has a plan, the work will get done.

Veronica will be baptized this sunday the 7th at 4:00, she is so flipping great!! She is already in Mosiah and only started the book of mormon 2 weeks ago. Such an example to me. She has such a great desire to do what is right and follow gods plan for her. She is also an example to her family too; she knows how important it is to give some time to god. She told us that she can see a difference in her family since she has started studying with us. boom.

We had a nuevo this week, his name is jean paul from haiti and he speaks 6 languages!!! yes i said 6... dutch, french, italian, english, spanish, russian. it's nuts but he is awesome!!

Believe and LIVE the gospel.

I know that Joseph Smith restored the gospel OF JESUS CHRIST. I know it without any doubt.